Jar cap lifter having levers pivoted together at corresponding ends



Oct. 19, 1954 HOPMANN 2,691,909

. UAR CAP LIFTER HAVING LEVERS PIVOTED TQGETHER AT CORRESPONDING ENDSFiled Feb. 7, 1952 Arthur E. Hopniann INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 19, 1954 UNITED STATS PATENT OFFICE JAR CAP LIFTER HAVINGLEVERS' PIVOTED TOGETHER AT CORRESPONDING ENDS 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an improved hand implement or toolwhich is primarily adapted for loosening, lifting or otherwise removingfriction type covers and lids of the many styles and forms currentlyused on fruit containing jars, bottles and so-called jelly glasses.

By way of introduction to the particular subject matter underconsideration, it will be helpful to the reader to take into accountthat the novel structural characteristics to be herein analyzed anddescribed and have to do with improvements on a basically similar tooldisclosed in a co-pending application identified as Serial No. 247,942filed September 24, 1951, now Patent No. 2,651,226.

The subject matter of the stated co-pending application has to do with apair of complemental lever units disposed in a plane with each other andinterconnected for conjoint operation at corresponding ends, said unitshaving opposed handle portions which carry closure engaging grips orjaws. The latter are formed with teeth and co-acting flanges which, inuse, are especially well adapted to reside in contact with the upperside of the jar closure and to in this manner facilitate catching holdof a milled or correspondingly roughened rim portion on the closure. Theflanges are in the same plane and are at right angles to said teeth andhave perfectly smooth flat faces to contact the closure.

Another aspect of the co-pending application appertains to a pair ofduplicate opposed levers hingedly connected together at correspondingends and having free end portions with return bends the latter defininghooks, said hooks having bill portions and said bill portions beingadapted to pilot themselves into a space between a friction held lid andthe shoulder of a jar, whereby they combinedly served as fulcruming andlifting members.

One improvement in the instant transaction has to do with an implementfor lifting and thus removing a lid from a jar or the like wherein therim of the lid has an endless outwardly flaring lip-flange comprising apair of opposed like levers hingedly connected with each other atcorresponding ends and having free end portions of arcuate form whichconstitute gripping jaws and serve to conformingly embrace said rim, theinward surfaces of said free end portions having groove means forretentive reception of cooperating segments of said lip-flange.

Further novelty has to do with an implement for lifting and removing alid from a jar or the like characterized by a pair of opposed levershingedly connected with each other and having free end portions ofgeneral arcuate form providing gripping jaws which latter embrace therim of the lid. At the juncture of the jaws and the coacting outer endlever portions are integrally formed lugs having selectively useableportions to assist in removing lids of varying constructional forms.

Features and advantages in addition to those specifically mentioned willbecome more readily apparent from the following description and theaccompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a lid remover constructed in accordancewith the principles of the present invention and showing the manner inwhich the jaw-like grips are utilized;

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section showing one of the leverunits seen in Figure l with said unit appearing alone;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the manner in whichthe jaws perform as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a View taken approximately on the vertical line 4-4! ofFigure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a view showing the tool turned upside down and the manner inwhich it functions in this position; and,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 3 and 5 but showing how the lugscome into play when the handle means is forced down in a manner to liftthe jaw portions up and to in this manner dislodge and disconnect therim portion of the jelly glass lid.

Reference is made first to Figures 1 and 2 and particularly to Figure 1.In the latter figure the numerals 8 and I0 designate a pair of like orcorrespondingly constructed lever units. At the right hand ends theunits have curved portions 12 and 14 which portions are overlapped andhingedly connected together as at 16. The intermediate portions denotedat ll-Il are handle portions and these have their inner surfacesserrated to provide anti-friction gripping teeth l8--l8 and additionalor auxiliary teeth 20--20. Associated with these respective sets ofteeth are fiat surfaced flanges 2222 which are used in a manner notherein illustrated but covered and claimed in co-pending applicationSerial Number 247,942, now Patent No. 2,651,226. The outer free endportions of the lever units are formed with free end portions which maybe conveniently referred to as jaws and these jaws are denoted by thenumerals 24-24. The inward opposed surfaces are provided with arcuategrooves denoted by the numerals 26. These grooves are adapted to receivethe endless skirt or flange 28 on the rim 30 of the jar lid 32 as shownin Figures 1, 3 and 4. For more effective gripping and releasing thefree end portions of the jaws have inturned hooks conveniently denotedby the numerals 3434 and the bill or terminal portions of these hookshave additional arcuate grooves 36-36 which coact with the statedgrooves 26. It will be obvious, therefore, that by pressing the groovedhooks together and forcing the jaws 24-24 simultaneously together theskirt or flange of the lid is firmly and frictionally seated in thegrooves and a satisfactory grip is thus had, making it possible togradually loosen and yank the lid off of the jar.

Another phase of the invention has to do with a pair of companion lugswhich are denoted by the numerals 3838 and these lugs are formedintegrally as at 4940 with the junctural portions 42-42, that is theportions constituting the junctural connections between the jaws 24-24and handle portions I'I-l1 of the lever units. These lugs are inapproximately opposed parallelism and they are laterally offset inupward directions when the tool is used in the manner shown in all butFigure of the drawings. Each lug is somewhat hook-shaped as brought outadvantageously in Figure 2 and the effective or working face of the lughas a ll-shaped and curvate beak 44 at its free end and a V-shapedabutment 46 intermediate its ends.

It will be evident that when the tool is used as shown in Figures 1, 3and 4 only the hook equipped grooved jaws 2424 come into play with theskirt or flange 28 fitting into the groove means and hence when thelever units or handle portions thereof are pressed firmly together thedevice becomes a lid holding and lifting wrench. The flanged and toothedportions identified by the numerals l8 and 22 do not come intoconsideration in this case and are therefore not described withparticularity.

When the tool is used in the manner shown in Figure 5 it is, of course,turned upside down and the jaws rest atop the lid and the beak portions44 of the lugs become lifting hooks and they engage underneath of theflange 28 and the lid is removed in pry-bar fashion.

In Figure 6 the beak portions do not come into use but the abutments 46rest on top of the lid 46 with the fiat rim 4%? on the jelly glass 50.Here the handle is moved down in the direction of arrow A and the jawstravel up in the direction of arrow B and lift the lid off in an obviousmanner.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the inventionafter considering the description in connection with the drawings.Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size and arrangement of details coming withinthe field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, ifdesired.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

An implement for lifting and thus removing a lid from ajar or the likewherein the lid is circular and has an endless rim and the rim isprovided with an endless outwardly flaring skirt, comprising a pair ofcoplanar duplicate levers having handles hingedly connected together atcorresponding ends and their opposite ends free and movable toward andfrom each other in a manner to effectively embrace jar necks ofdifferent diameters, the inner ends being curved inwardly toward eachother in a plane with each other and in the same plane with said leversand terminating in coplanar return bends defining lifting hooks, saidhooks embodying bill-portions, the inwardly facing longitudinal edgeportions of said levers inwardly of said hooks being longitudinallycurved and providing a pair of neck embracing jaws, the latter beingopposed to each other, the extremities of said hooks being grooved andsaid jaws likewise being grooved and the grooves of the jaws being inthe same plane with the grooves in said hooks.

References Cited in the file of this patent France -2 Sept. 29, 1947

